Microdynamics of a monoatomic liquid metal

Abstract Modified microscopic theory of the collective dynamics of a simple liquid has been used to explain the recently observed accurate detailed coherent dynamical structure factor S ( k ,  ω ) of liquid Na at 390 K as measured by high resolution inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) in the wave-vector, κ , range 1.5 nm −1  ⩽  κ  ⩽ 14.6 nm −1 . The computed values of detailed spectral lineshape of S ( k ,  ω ), the dispersion relation and the velocity of sound are in reasonable agreement with the corresponding experimental results. Variation of longitudinal viscosity with κ has also been reported.